


lips stained red like blood

by mirkandmidnight



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Alternate Universe - Olympian Gods, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Persephone Cycle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 13:47:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6472420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirkandmidnight/pseuds/mirkandmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somebody needed to do a Hades and Persephone AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	lips stained red like blood

**Author's Note:**

> [worldsgreatestnerd](http://worldsgreatestnerd.tumblr.com/) made me do it.

Contrary to what the rest of the gods might think, Poe wasn’t the bad guy he4re. Sure, he understood the reasoning behind it, what with the whole god of the Underworld thing, but he liked to think he was pretty reasonable. He wasn’t prone to fits of rage as the rest of the gods were. Sure, he didn’t talk to them much, but the majority were kind of assholes. He was more than happy to stay where he was comfortable.

 

Of course, he couldn’t get out of the yearly reunion party, no matter how much he tried. That was unavoidable; forgive him if he wasn’t exactly thrilled to get together with his huge immortal extended family. That year’s party was being held in his domain, which he wasn’t exactly happy about either. Poe hated hosting things.

 

The party was in full swing already when Leia arrived with her son. Leia was the goddess of the harvest, which meant that her kid, the unreasonably tall guy with black hair and a displeased expression on his face had to be the god of spring.

 

Talk about irony.

 

As far as Poe knew, this was the guy’s first time at a reunion party. None of the gods were allowed in until they came of age, so he had to be pretty young. Poe didn’t often associate with the younger gods, preferring to talk to the ones closer to his own age. Nevertheless, this guy might be interesting.

 

Mind made up, Poe approached the two, a glass of dark red wine balanced in his fingers. Leia smiled tightly as he approached them.

 

“Thank you so much for hosting this year,” she cooed. “It looks like a lovely party.” Well, that was obviously a lie. None of the gods particularly enjoyed his company, and he’d bet they weren’t happy to be here at all.

 

Still, he had to be a gracious host, so he smiled and kissed her knuckles deferentially. Leia was not someone you wanted angry with you.

 

“Delighted to have you,” he replied. “And who might this be.

 

She took back her hand, and was that a touch of frost in her eyes? “This is my son, Ben. Be polite, Poe, he is rather young.”

 

Well, that made Tall Dark and Cranky mad. Ben scowled, and Poe raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“You know me, I’m hospitable to all my guests,” he said.

 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Leia muttered, then eyed the glass of wine in his hands the spread of food lining the room

 

“Have something to eat,” Poe offered, gesturing about the room. “I insist.”

 

She met his gaze and held it. “I don’t think so.”

 

A sly grin spread across his face as Leia led her son across the room. Poe knew it was rude, but watching the others flinch at his shows of power was just so much fun sometimes. They all knew that anyone who ate food from the Underworld would be forced to stay there, but watching everyone dance around that fact was too funny.

 

He took a sip of wine and let the noise of the party fade into a meaningless wash of sound. This was so dull. He’d be glad when they were all gone and he could have the place to himself.

 

When he looked back up, Ben was staring at him from across the room, a strange sort of burning in his eyes. Poe turned away, not expecting to see him again.

***

But apparently the Fates had just decided that the two of them were meant to keep meeting up. 

 

It was a cold, blustery day in late October, and Poe was taking a rare day off to walk the mortal world. There were souls that needed special consideration, so he could truly relax.

 

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his battered leather jacket and hunched his shoulders as he watched. He knew that, to the mortals, he looked like any other passerby. Unremarkable. Invisible, even.

 

“Hey!” Someone shouted, and he turned, even though he knew the shout couldn’t possibly be directed at him.

 

Behind him, pushing through the crowd, was Ben. He was dressed smartly in a black peacoat, a green beanie shoved over his hair. He elbowed his way around a gaggle of old women to catch up with Poe.

 

The only thing Poe could think to do was stare at the other man as he approached rapidly. Ben stopped next to him, looking oddly expectant.

 

“Well?” Poe said. “What?”

 

The other man looked a little taken aback to be addressed this abruptly, but Poe couldn’t really bring himself to be that upset. The guy had interrupted his walk, after all.

 

He waited, and finally the other man spoke.

 

“I just, uh, wanted to say hi, I guess. I don’t know a lot of people outside my parents.” He shifted his weight, suddenly looking very uncertain. “Anyway, that’s it, then. I’ll just-” Ben made an aborted movement to walk away down the pavement.

 

Poe sighed internally. He was going to do something stupid, he just knew it. Seemingly of its own accord, his hand moved to grab Ben’s elbow.

 

He looked back, and Poe found himself wondering exactly what he was doing. With a start, he realized they’d just been standing there for a good thirty seconds. What the hell. Now he was going to have to save face somehow.

 

His lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile. With his free hand, he brushed a stray lock of dark hair away from Ben’s cheek, all the while maintaining eye contact. 

 

“A little far from home, aren’t you, godlet?”

 

Ben closed his eyes but didn’t pull away. Which was kind of weird, actually, not to mention a little rude. Poe was putting a lot of effort into being intimidating, the least the guy could do was act a little afraid.

 

“Does that actually work on anyone?” Ben asked, eyes snapping open.

 

“I’m sorry?” Poe replied, hand still frozen next to the other man’s cheekbone.

 

“You know, the-” he wiggled his fingers meaningfully. “Does that actually ever intimidate anyone?”

 

“Generally, yes.” What even was this. Poe pulled his hand away. “You know, the whole god-of-the-dead thing sort of tends to have more of an effect.”

 

“Oh,” the other said. “I see.” He shuffled his feet. “So, why wasn’t anyone eating any of the food at that reunion thing? Weird, right?”

 

Jesus Christ. Had no one told this kid anything about anything? Poe was caught halfway between horror and amusement at his sheer ignorance.

 

“Probably because if they did, they’d have to live in the Underworld forever.”

 

“Oh.” A long silence stretched out between them, one Poe refused to break. “Right, then. I guess I’ll just let you go,” Ben said, and vanished into the crowd. 

 

He watched him go, an expression of careful neutrality on his face. What an odd encounter.

***

So naturally the third time he saw the god of spring was also when he was least expecting it. Oe was on his way back from collecting and had decided to spend a little time outside. He stopped in a seemingly abandoned wooded area, not bothering to see if anyone else was around.

 

This was his first mistake.

 

He spent a few minutes standing and looking at the trees, then got back into the car. He didn’t check the back before getting in, which was his second mistake.

 

The drive back to the Underworld went fine; it went peacefully, even, until he was past Charon’s toll gate. Honestly, the whole ferry thing was so outdated. But as soon as he was past the toll booth, a dark head popped up in the backseat.

 

“Hiya,” Ben said.

 

Poe yelped and slammed on the brakes, then swore. “How long have you been back there?”

 

He shrugged. “Kind of a while. I’m sort of surprised that it took you so long to notice. You’re not very observant, are you?”

 

“Well, I generally don’t have to worry about upstart gods hitching a ride, the whole death thing kind of tends to discourage that.” Poe groaned and leaned forward to hit his head on the steering wheel. “Shit, fuck, I am in so much trouble, your mom is going to have my guts for fertilizer!”

 

“What?” Ben asked. “You didn’t do anything, I definitely snuck in here.”

 

And he was this close to working himself into a full on panic. “That’s not exactly what it looks like here. It kind of looks like I kidnapped you.” He shook his head. “No, no, it’s good, we’re fine, I’ll just take you back right now and it’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

 

“What? Absolutely not, I didn’t go to all this trouble just to be dragged back home like a little kid.” Ben crossed his arms across his chest and scowled. “I’m not leaving until you show me something really cool.”

 

Okay, this was incredibly childish, and hell if he was going to admit it, but a little endearing. In any case, there was no way this kid would leave voluntarily.

 

Besides, it had been ages since he’d had any visitors. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. The Underworld was full of dangerous things. If he showed this kid enough of them, chances were he’d decide to go all on his own.

***

So that didn’t end up working out at all. Poe took him all over the Underworld, showing him the scariest things he could think of.

 

Nothing. Nada. Even Tartarus barely got a reaction from him. This was ridiculous, what even was this guy? So, as a last ditch effort to spook the kid, Poe took him to see the Fates. It was a little known secret that the Fates spent most of their time in the Underworld, with his permission. And maybe it was a little mean spirited, but the kid needed to leave before Leia came looking for him down here.

 

The cave the Fates lived in was well out of the way, and as they walked to it, the kid kept pestering him, asking questions about where they were going.

 

“Somewhere cool,” he said, gritting his teeth.

 

They approached the cave, and the kid hesitated just outside the entrance. The place was dark and dank, and even he didn’t come here unless he had to. All the same, he had to go in. Poe nudged him and flashed a wicked grin. 

 

“What’s the matter?” He taunted. “Getting second thoughts?”

 

The kid glared at him and strode into the cave. Poe followed a few paces behind, hoping the Fates wouldn’t be too harsh. After all, he wanted the kid to go home, not to have the whole of Olympus set on him.

 

That and he was never quite sure what forms the Fates would take. The last time he’d been here, they’d been a trio of abuelas knitting a huge afghan, the time previously, they were three punk rockers who’d given him a remarkable stinkeye.

 

He strained to see the three women in the dark, nearly running into the kid’s back. Damn, but he was tall.

 

“Hail,” cried three voices in union, and the kid stopped short. Poe stepped out from behind him to see three women sitting in a circle on the ground. One was slight, with dark hair pulled back into three buns. Another was tall and muscular, her short blond hair flopping in her eyes. The third was tiny, old, and very wrinkled.

 

These were the fates, the women who controlled everything. Rey decided when and where life began, Phasma dictated the thread of a person’s life, and Maz Kanata snipped it.

 

“Afternoon, ladies,” Poe said, suddenly nervous.

 

Rey looked up and nodded at him. “Poe. Nice to see you again.”

 

Phasma stood, towering over both of them, a grin on her face. “You’ve brought us a marvelously interesting visitor.” She jerked her chin at the kid. “All hail Kylo Ren.”

 

“All hail,” the other two chorused.

 

Okay. That was a little creepy. He was beginning to regret bringing the kid here. He looked over, and Ben’s face had gone oddly pale.

 

Still seated on the ground, Maz Kanata chuckled. “Be polite, Phasma,” she said, but if anything, Phasma’s grin only grew more predatory.

 

“It’s not in my nature,” she said, taking a step closer. The kid tried to back up, but Phasma grabbed at his elbow, and with the other hand, tipped his head up to inspect his face. Her grin grew even wider, and she let out a laugh. “Oh, that’s funny,” she said, turning back towards the other two. “You’ll both have this thread before long.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” The kid said.

 

Phasma winked conspiratorially at him. “I’m afraid little Ben Solo isn’t long for this world,” she crooned. Then, almost as a private joke, “All hail Kylo Ren.”

 

Poe frowned. “Phasma.” This wasn’t what he’d intended at all. 

 

But she ignored him to step even closer to the kid, who appeared to be frozen to the spot with fear. “Death dogs your footsteps,” she whispered in his ear. “You cannot escape it. It lurks in your shadow, follows close behind you.” She glanced at Poe. “Someday soon, it will devour you.”

 

“Phasma!” He snapped, and she took a step back, still defiant.

 

“What? It’s true.”

 

Still seated, Rey looked up from a small pile of pebbles. “He doesn’t look so good.”

 

Poe turned to the kid, who had collapsed against the wall of the cave, breaths coming short and past. Poe ran a frustrated hand through his hair and hooked an arm around the kid’s waist.

 

“Nice to see you,” he said. “We’ll be going, then.” He looped one of the kid’s arms around his shoulders and headed for the exit.

 

“See you very soon,” Maz said, which wasn’t ominous at all.

 

He kept going, half leading and half dragging the kid along with him. They stopped just outside the entrance, Poe lowering them both to the ground carefully. 

 

The kid didn’t look so good. His breathing hadn’t slowed down at all, and his face was still unnaturally pale. Poe felt a frisson of fear travel up his spine.

 

He grabbed the kid’s chin, kneeling so they were on the same level and forcing eye contact. “Hey,” he said, “listen to me. Phasma talks rough, but she’s all bark. She wouldn’t touch you, not in my domain.”

 

This wasn’t working. He could feel the kid’s pulse fluttering under his fingertips. “Hey.” Poe tried again. “Ben,” he started, and the kid’s attention snapped to him. “She can’t touch you. You’re safe with me.”

 

That did it. Ben sat up straight slowly, his gaze almost amused. “Well,” he said. “There’s no way I’m leaving now.”

 

Fuck.

***

The next few weeks were some of the most fun Poe had ever had. When it came down to it, Ben had a whip-fast sense of humor that was as dry as it was sharp. As soon as he got over the shock of meeting the Fates, he was back wandering the Underworld, insisting that Poe showed him everything, even sitting in the audience chamber from time to time.

 

That was there they were now, Poe sitting on the throne, and Ben leaning on the back of it.

 

“So occasionally the three appointed judges can’t decide where to send a soul, in which case I have to make the decision,” Poe explained. “It’s not the most fun part of my job.”

 

Ben frowned down at the shade and frowned. “What did she do?”

 

The shade didn’t move or speak, so Poe told him. “She did a very good thing and a very bad thing. Her husband was unfaithful, and she killed him, but then she died trying to save the woman he had the affair with.” He sighed and rubbed at his temples. “So it’s looking to be either Elysium or eternal punishment.”

 

Ben walked around the throne and squatted, considering the shade. “It seems to me,” he started, “as though a great good and a great evil ought to cancel each other out.” He looked at Poe. “Don’t you think?”

 

Poe stared at him, completely dumbfounded. That possibility had honestly never occurred to him, and it was altogether staggering that Ben, of all people, would figure it out, that he didn’t have to deal in absolutes.

 

He was still staring at Poe, waiting for an answer. Poe stood and approached him, still not speaking. He stopped in front of Ben and pulled him upwards by the elbow so they were both standing.

 

“Poe?” The other said, sounding a tad nervous. “You’re kind of freaking me out.”

 

He blinked. “What? Oh. Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. This was getting out of hand. He needed to talk to Phasma.

***

Phasma wasn’t surprised to see him. Of course, he wasn’t expecting her to be. She looked the same as the last time they’d spoken, but Rey and Maz were nowhere to be seen. He wondered where they were. They seemed like the calmer, more rational ones, but Phasma was the one who knew stuff apparently.

 

“They’re busy,” she said, without even turning to look at him. “Now, what do you want?”

 

Poe gulped. Asking questions of the Fates was generally not considered a wise idea, but he needed answers.

 

“Clarification.” Phasma turned around and raised an eyebrow. “You said that death was coming for Ben, and soon. What does that mean?”

 

She shrugged. “What does it sound like? The cessation of existence. An eternity of darkness. To shuffle off this mortal coil.”

 

“Yeah, but that’s the thing; he hasn’t got a mortal coil. He’s got an immortal coil.” If he’d known Phasma was going to be this cryptic, he wouldn’t have bothered to ask.

 

Phasma turned around to look at him. “Kid’s body is immortal; his godly identity isn’t. Kylo Ren is coming, and I suggest you’re prepared when he does.” She winked. “And I said Death, capital d. That’s you, hotshot.”

 

He stared. What a jerk. She was absolutely no help at all.

 

“Oh, and by the way? Watch out for Leia. She’s pissed.” Which was only marginally more helpful. Poe gave her a little salute as he headed out. He should have known better than to go to one of the Fates for help. They specialized in being unnecessarily cryptic. 

***

When Poe got back to the palace, Ben was in throne room, arguing with Jessika Pava and Ahsoka Tano, goddesses of travel and magic, respectively.

 

“This is ridiculous,” Ben protested, “you can’t just drag me off to Olympus without Poe here.”

 

Poe blinked. What? “Who said anything about dragging anyone back to Olympus without telling me first?”

 

Jessika raised a hand, looking almost apologetic. “Sorry, boys. Playtime’s over. Leia’s pissed, time to send the kid back home.”

 

“You can’t!” Ben blurted.

 

“Why not?”

 

He glanced at Poe, clearly trying to come up with something quickly. “Because he kidnapped me,” Ben said, sounding unreasonably confident in his answer.

 

As answers went, that wasn’t actually terrible. “That’s right,” Poe confirmed. “I kidnapped him fair and square, and he’s mine now.”

 

Ahsoka looked doubtful. “We’ll just see about that,” she said, and she and Jessika strode from the hall.

 

The moment they were gone, Poe turned to Ben. “Why did you tell them that?” He hissed. “Now we’re both in for a shitstorm.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ben replied, eyes blazing. “Would you have preferred that I just left with them?”

 

“Of course not! What would even make you think that? I just thought,” he hesitated, “that you might want to go home.”

 

He stared at Poe. “You thought I wanted to leave?” He said, then burst into manic laughter.

 

Um. Okay. This was getting kind of weird and not helpful at all. But Poe waited. When the laughter finally subsided, Ben wiped at his eyes. “Poe. I live in your house. I practically stalk you while you’re working. I hid in your car to get down here. What exactly about this situation makes you think I don’t want to be here?”

 

Oh. “You don’t like me that much?”

 

Ben facepalmed. “You’re such an idiot,” he said, the words muffled by his hand, and Poe’s heart sank. “I’ve literally been trying to get your attention since we met.”

 

Which was just-what? Someone should have let him know. He should have been told sooner than this.

 

He took a few steps closer, eyeing Ben hesitantly. “You like me.”

 

“Yes, you idiot,” he replied, impossibly fond. “Why do you think I’ve been trying to get you to kiss me for literally the last week?”

 

He stopped short. “What, really?”

 

Ben took the last two steps, closing the distance between them, and rolled his eyes. “You really are completely oblivious, aren’t you?” He said, then leaned down and kissed him.

***

“I really hope you realize there’s no way I’m leaving now,” Ben said as they left the throne room.

 

Poe tilted his head. “Well, no. But I have no idea how we’re going to convince Jessika about that.”

 

“Convince Jessika about what?” Said Jessika, leaning against the wall. When had she even gotten there? Was this just the day of people unexpectedly showing up at his house? She stood up straight. “Just got back from talking to Luke, and he says you have to let Ben leave. Leia is literally having a melt down. She won't’ do fertility and all the mortals are dying.”

 

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Seriously, Mom?” He said.

 

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Poe said, his face blank. “Kidnap, remember?”

 

She stared him down. “Come on, Dameron, work with me here.”

 

He looked over at Ben, who looked pleadingly at him, then over at Jessika, who was clearly having none of this. Poe sighed. He had an idea, but it was insane.

 

“Fine,” he said, hating the betrayed look on Ben’s face. “Just a moment, I need to get something.”

 

“But-” Ben started, but Poe held up a hand to silence him. The moment Jessika’s back was turned, he winked.

 

He headed for the next room, where a fruit basket sat upon the table. He picked up the first fruit he saw, a ripe pomegranate, and peeled it quickly, holding a slice in his hand. He walked back into the hallway, where Jessika and Ben were waiting, and stepped close to Ben. Poe extended his hand between them so that Ben alone could see the section of pomegranate.

 

“Do you trust me?” He whispered, and Ben’s eyes burned fiercely.

 

“Yes,” he replied, and took the section of pomegranate in his hand.

 

Jessika tapped her foot. “Waiting still,” she muttered, then spotted the fruit in Ben’s hand. “Oh, no,” she said, but before she could do anything, Ben popped the fruit into his mouth.

 

In the ensuing struggle, the half eaten sector of the pomegranate fell onto the floor. The noise it made upon landing was incredibly soft, and yet it drew the attention of the whole room.

 

“Shit,” Jessika whispered.

 

Poe stooped to pick it up and inspected it. “He’s eaten six or seven of the seeds. Therefore, I propose that for six months of the year, Ben remains here as my consort, and spend the remaining time on Olympus.”

 

Ben nodded. “Fine with me, I suppose.”

 

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know, I really don’t think Luke is going to like this.”

 

Phasma appeared then, arms folded across her chest and scaring the shit out of all of them. And yeah, it was apparently just the day of people turning up uninvited into Poe’s house. Why was this his life? “He doesn’t have to like it. It’s fated.”

 

A sudden realization struck him. “This is what you meant? You could have just said so.”

 

She gave him an odd look. “But that wouldn’t have been any fun, would it?” She said, then turned back to Jessika. “It’s happening like it’s supposed to, so you’re all just going to have to get used to it. I don’t think Kylo Ren would be very pleased to know that you don’t agree with his life choices.”

 

“Kylo Ren?”

 

Phasma jerked her chin towards Ben. “Ceremonial title for the god of the Underworld’s consort. Not surprised no one knows it; no one’s used it in a millennium. And you get a shit ton of powers, too. I’m actually a little jealous.” The Fate made a shooing gesture at Jessika. “Now go on, scram. I’m sure your boss will want to hear all about this, and you can come along in six months to collect that one.”

 

Jessika glanced between the three of them, then nodded and snapped. In the blink of an eye, she had vanished.

 

Phasma straightened. “Well, this has been delightful, but I’m getting tired of dealing with you people. I’m going home,” she announced, and was gone.

 

And so it came to pass that Poe found himself with a consort for the majority of the year, and while Ben was in the Underworld, Leia kept the Earth cold and lifeless out of grief. But for the months he returned to Olympus, the earth was lush and green and beautiful.

The name Kylo Ren caught on quickly and before long, it was all the mortals referred to Ben by, citing his new position as Poe’s consort, as well as his split identity. Ben was springtime, was flowers and sun and warmth, but Kylo Ren is the dark and winter and ice, and mothers’ whispers to children at night.

 

_Don’t disobey your parents, they warn, or Kylo Ren will get you._

 

The two ruled the Underworld together, Ben sitting the throne, Poe seated on the floor, his head rested against the other’s knee. Poe was the Underworld, but Kylo Ren sat the throne. And while Poe saw to the matters of wayward souls, Ben passed judgement on those who came before them.

 

And so the seasons turned and turned.


End file.
